Tractor sprocket



Nov. 3, 1931. cf RORABECK TRACTOR SPROCKET Filed Sept. 28, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Noms, 1931. c RORABECK 1,829,874

TRACTOR SPROCKET Filed Sept. 28. 1928 ZSheets-Sheet 2 'jme/fof y PatentedrNov. 3, 1931 .Y

CLAUDE noaAiincx, or oHrCAeo'nE'rGHTs, ILLINoIsAssreNoE To AMERICAN MAN- I `crANEsE STEEL coMPANY, or .curic'Aeo,jILLINOIS, A CORPORATION y0E MAINE which 4the Y tractor 4replacing a sprocket Wheel is such that thereak very large expense in TRACTOR srnooirET l Apprlicationledv September 28,.:1928. Serial` No. 308,913.

i ,l '.lhisinventi-)n relatesjto a sprocket "wheel 'v 4construction which,-.while adapted for use,

inffm'a'ny situations, is designed primarily for tractorsv of A .the caterpillar or* endless track ltype' whereitlserves to drive the track which yis'm'ade up of an links, the teeth of'thesprocket endless series of 'articulated spacesbetween 'and interengaging with barrels orsleeves throughwliich the articulating pintlesv pass, andy by,r such interengagement driving the track.l

Sprockets of this `kindvvcar out in the field of use so that it becomes-necessary to replace them, and as now constructed the `extent to has to be1 dismantled in placement involves the'time'required eiiect the change; be-

sides'the design of Vthefrims of-thesetractor lheretofore vbeen.

sprockets, and

' coact;and' such sprockets as heretoforeom structed have not given fullsatisfaction with respect to the radial openings y'which they carryV as a means of l clearingtheir intertooth spaces of foreign matter which is carried to Ythem by the tracks.

One object of the present invention is to greatlyL reduce the expense incident to re' i v' .thi being accomplishedfby'provi-ding the rim and body, theorie Ywith an internal flange and in thel otherr with ant external flange, which -fflanges are made to overlap in an intermee diate plane of thecircninference of thev A sprocket, .and

beingjloolted together to secure the rim in placegione for1n=v 4of this parti oftheinvention contemplating theproduction. the rim two or more parts, sep-Y.,

entering the particularlyjof the teethwhich f Vinterengage with the llinks ofthe track, has

obj ectionable-with respect toy the manner in whichthe sprockets and tracks and replacement without. disturbing ythe body lbf the sprocket vt/heel,

f subjecting the rim to shock, wedgingfaction or the like; so Lthat in situations where it is not convenient to slipy an entire replaceable rim into position, the rim can be applied inv y separate pieces, for instance, two pieces each n constituting one-half of the rim.V

Anqther object of theY invention is tofso construct the rim of the sprocketthat the teeth will coact with the links of the track more advantageously than sprockets as here '.tofore'constructed; to which end, teeth on the lrim are formed with transversely beveled or inwardly flaring bases from which project substantially parallel-sided portions lof the teeth, the outer ends of the teeth being suit? ably rounded to facilitate entering the spaces f the track links, and the construction as a whole being such that the sprocket is self centering in the fltrack, the tooth is thereby kmade to functionwith the link at the barrel,

and the Haring ,orl beveled bases give the sprocket avmuch better bearing in the linkV fory side thrust when the sprocket is `coming into place from one bearing center to the next. v

4Another object-of the invention is to pro,- vide a rim of superior strength with minimum weight; to which end another feature ofv the invention consists in making the teethand theirbase's. hollow, but integrally unitedA by a circu'mferentially extending rail designed 'to providey an overlapping attaching ange as Well as a seating shoulder,.and having this rail extendl acrossfthe hollow flaring bases of the teeth of which itforms an integral part, and from which the Haringv side walls of the tooth bases arespaced. v Another object is to improve the self clearg function of the rim to-perinit the escape of substances carried by the endless track from the ground to the sprocket; toI which end, another feature ofthe invention consists in providing in the inter-tooth spaces, radially extending clearance openings,` andV having these openings on oppositev sides of the medial .circumferential plane so thattwo ing and attaching rail is not interrupted;l

and these clearance openings are preferably flared inwardly vso that foreign matter'that is forced into the lower outer-ends willf'passz freely throughthe' openings ywithout chok- 'bFinally, a -feature of the invention ,incident tothe preferred inethodf-of'realizing all;k Y v Y e v rim which' greatly'stien it against tran-sverse stresses, and these walls are integrally of the objects, consistsin a toothed rim or Arim-section for sprocket wheels in which the sides of the-.hollow teeth and the outer'wall-s vof the inter-toothspaces,`which"ajlso provide the outerconnes of theY clearance spaces,

constitute continuous skirt-likevvalls spacedY onoppos'ite' sides of the integral medial' mounting rail butv connected ,together` .andf

f braced from said'raill fat regular intervalsby relatively lightconstruction vis obtained'. In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a side elevation, andvFigurev Y severancewlll be through means 'of slots 13 2 a diametric section'of a sprocket wheel'emb'odying4 one form of thepresent invention.

' ll`igures 3V yand'l are radial sections ink l planes coinciding with the axis-ofthe wheel Y tooth arrangement.

showing detail viewsof the rim andadjaf" cent portions of the! body Vof the wheel; the

vsection 'of Figure 3 being .taken on 'the'line `3m 3mf andy the section of Figure e being 'in'v 'the plane' of partial severance recess indi#` *cated bythe line der of vFigui-e1, and

Figure 5 is aside elevation of a sector of i the-'wheel fof aV somewhat modified design vof l 1 ,for instance, manganese steel.

1 representsthe body. ofthe wheel may have any appropriate desigmfsu'ch, 'forev instanceja's a designfinvolving inner v,hubiattaching Vflange 2, spokes', anda lflange-likev 1' fellyl carrying a rim mounting flange 5; and

G'represents thei'imfof the wheel constructed 'Y with a circumferentially extending rail v7;

having a seating shoulder 7 zandI a flange 8 throughwhichitis mounted on the flange 5 of the felly 4 being secured theretobybolts);

also teeth 10 and intertooth spaces 11. The'y teethl() are madehollow with their cavities presented' radially inward and :with :the integral rim rail? extending across theirflinl. ner open ends, Theouter ends of the teeth.

are preferably rounded, asshown atV 10a, but

their side as shown atzlO, are

' tooth to coiact 'with tooth-receiving spaces of ,bearing between thetooth and the link. Y The bolt openings' in the rim mountingflange are preferably hushed as at 9a.

f lhelinks'areY further prvde'dfwthfclear; 1.

walls that Vco'nstirzute.the'end confines of they' clearance. spaces, so that a veryi rigid but the hunting tooth action.

*with walls spaced i walls l spaced circumferentially thereof',y pre1' wallseXtend' straight for` apo'r i l vijding' 'hollow teeth positioned j'with their tion of the way, i

then beveled or flared outwardly as shownatV 10c, for the purpose ofbetter` adapting. the.

more accurate center- Figure 2, which clearance spaces, being two in number, are symmetrically. disposed on opposite vsides of the mounting rail-7 and add materiallyto the efficiency of the. selfv clearing function ofthe rim.lk The inwardly flar-v ing side walls 10c of the tooth bases, .and the side walls 12a of the clearance spaces`12, constitutecontinuous apron-likemembers of the connected together, through the mounting rail" 7 by means ofthe transverse'end walls V12b of theclearance spaces 12, which may also be said to" constitute transverse4 ystructural walls Vof ,the tooth bases. Y

" Therim is best made byvcasting as a vcomplete integral structure of manganese steel. i

But, if it be desired toapply the rim in two parts, it' will preferably be divided in a diametric vplane'conicifdent vwith the section line affix of Figure 1a`nd in order that-the rim may 'nevertheless-be cast as a single piece, its

Vbut in condition for ready separation into two parts in the .field by merely driving wedges-ini the'slotsl 'and fracturingthe piece, which can readily be done .since 'rims of this kind are produced from cast metal,

' According to the embodiment i shown in Figure 5, the inter-tooth spaces, instead of being such-as to present but one tooth, per

link as inj Figurejl', are greatly reducedso that hollow teethflOm Vand clearancei'spaces 12a/are spaced on'centers about equal distances apart, and the rim thus presents two sprocket teeth to each link of the track, thus V intro'ducingthe principle of what is called 'Otherwise, the rim of Figure 5 may be identical in construction with th'atfvdescribedin connection with Figuresltol. 'f

lclaim Y Y Y 1. A' rim for sprocket wheels', constructed laterally of therim vand cavitiesopening inwardlylandwith an inte'f gral mounting railHX'CDding" ciroum'ferenl tially' of the rim and crossing` the cavities of thebteeth,l but, spaced fromv lateralV walls thereof and "leaving inwardly presented tooth openingsalongside of said rail.

` 2. A rim for sprocket Hwheels, constructed with hollow teeth positioned with their cavi#y c ties opening inwardly and with anintegral mounting-rail extending circumferentially 'not the rim'andfcrossingthe cavities of the A teeth; said rim being also constructed with radial clearance openingsvin its inter-toothr spaces, which said openingsare located on' opposite 'sides of said mounting rail.

. ings being flared inwardly.

, 3.. Airim for sprocket wheels, constructed withhollow` teeth`v` having their cavities-presented inwardly, .anda mounting raily eX- tending.,'circumferentially ofthe rim and crossingfsaid cavities; the inner portions of the side walls of said teeth being flared' to- UWard. the vcenter of the .Wheel.

f LA rimi'or sprocket wheels,"constructed Y y with'hollow teeth `positioned with their'cavitiesiopeningjinwardly and with an integral mounting rail extending circumferentially ofthe, rimandcrossing the cavitiesof the teeth said rim being'also constructed with l radial clearanceopenings in its inter-tooth Y 20 spaces, which Vsaid, openings are located on :opposite sides of said mounting rail; the side walls of the teeth'an'd of theclearance open- 5. A'rim for sprocket wheels, constructed with hollow'teeth ypositioned with their cavities'opening inwardly and with an integral f' mounting rail extending circumferentially Y of the rim Aand crossing the vcavities of the teeth; vsaid rim being also constructed with clearance openingsin its inter-tooth spaces, which said openings are located on lopposite sides of said mounting rail; the side Y Y Wang of the hoiio'w teeth and ofthe @1emance openings being' integrally united with the mounting railthrough means of the end walls of the clearance'openings. j

, 6. In a sprocketwheelfor receivinglinkdrivingrstructure's, a rim comprising a `cir- Y cumferentially extending attaching lmember and hollow teeth carried by said attaching member, said teeth comprisingl walls spaced circumferentially of the rim, Y and` side walls spaced laterally thereof, said walls ybeing 4'5, shaped to provide laterally structures,

liared bases and substantially straight sides extending radially outward from said bases.`

7,. In a sprocket wheel for link-driving a rcircumiierentially extending mounting' rail, hollow teeth mounted upon said rail, said teeth being yconstructed 'with bases vcomprising side walls andtransverse walls, andclearance openings. on either side of the mounting railfbetween the teeth, said clearancej openings being defined by said mountingl rail,v said tooth-base end walls, and

side walls whichV are integral with and con- 'l thesidewalls of the tooth-bases.

` 6025th dayof Signed at'Chicago Hrights,

September, 1928.

CLAUDE RORABECK.

Illinois, this stitutey circumferential, 'continuations from 

